“Centralia Has Me Seeing Green”

Every where I turn in the town that I live, I see green. Green signs, people wearing green t-shirts, and green lettering on local businesses and vehicles. The green is not to just to celebrate spring, our High Schools colors, but a community effort to save something priceless. Everyone in the community have united together to display green to save one of its most valuable assets, the Murray Center. The Murray Center provides a caring home and excellent care to 280 special needs residents. Governor Quinn, the governor of Illinois, has decided to close the facility and displace all the residents and employees. But the green is not about saving the jobs of 550 staff members. While jobs are crucial and important, the main explanation I hear for saving the Murray Center is more about the quality of care and life of what Jesus called the “least of these” and their families. Governor Quinn explained his actions were taken because of green cash despite the fact that the Murray Center has turned a profit of millions of dollars in last years.

So what is all the green about? The color green symbolizes self-respect and well being. Green is the color of balance. It also means learning, growth and harmony. Not being from Centralia I see green as the perfect color. Green has displayed the self respect and well being of the care given to the residence at the Murray Center. Green causes each of us who live here to find this balance between activism, politics, religion and community involvement. I have witnessed churches putting theological practices aside and coming together to pray and seek God’s guidance. I have witnessed local political leaders put aside personal egos and party lines to work together. It does not take long to see people gathering together in a show of solidarity to keep green in our community. I am not sure of the outcome but I know that during this whole journey our community has grown closer together. We have put others needs ahead of our own, lifted up to God in prayer our current circumstance, and bonded together. In a green cash strapped community, people have given of their already limited resources to help in the fight. The people of the Centralia area have begun to work in harmony with one another. Yes green is the perfect color for our community. In a society when division is profitable it is refreshing to see unity.

I can not predict the outcome but I truly believe no matter what our community has already won. We have unselfishly fought for the quality of life for those who can not take care of their own basic needs. We have battled for the families who can rest easy at night knowing that their loved one is safe, loved, and taken care of. We have brawled side by side in unity using all our resources with those in power to secure a safe home for those who need it most. Nothing can take that away our self respect and pride as a community as we know we have done the best we can. I was not born in Centralia but God chose to call my family and me here and once again it has proven to be an awesome place to live and raise our children. For that i am thankful. I believe in our community there has been awakening for each of us to see the beauty within that sometimes eludes us. That is something no governor can take away from us. Yes Centralia has me seeing green and I could think of a more beautiful color.

Peace, Love and Happiness,

Tommy

Life In Transition

Has there been a time in your life when you were in transition? Parents know what I’m talking about. I believe that parenting is the single hardest job in the entire world. In case you didn’t know I have a daughter who is 17 and a son who is 13 and every single time I think I got this whole parenting thing down, it changes. There was the small baby phase were all I had to do is not drop them, feed them change them, feed them, put them in a bouncy seat, and as long as they were not screaming, I was good. As soon as I got that down, here comes the toddler phase. They start to walk, start to become mobile, and start to get into stuff and make messes. As soon as I can keep them out of all the stuff in the house, they transition into the why stage. “Why? Why Daddy? Why?” My reply usually was “I don’t know why it’s because I’m not a good parent, just go ask your mother.” As soon as I got to answer every question under the sun, they transition into what I call the “Dad is great” phase. I like this one. It is where they become mini me’s. They think I hung the moon, follow me around, and imitate me. Just while I’m loving this stage, they transition in to beginning to have their own thoughts and ideas. I went from the smartest person in the world to not knowing anything in 24 hours. Then it is a transition into a teenager where I am embarrassing to be around and no longer cool and annoying. Every time in the parenting thing I get down, they transition on me.

What is true in parenting is also true in life. Every time we think we get life figured out. Every time we master a season or phase in our life, it is as if almost by divine coincidence we transition into a new season. How do we handle these transitions in life? Life is lived through season or what I like to call defining moments. These defining moments can be time of joy: graduation day, wedding day, getting your first “real” job, the day your kids were born, the day your grandkids were born, and other highlight ion your life. Our defining moments can be not so great: the day the Dr tells you the test results show its cancer, the ending of a relationship, when you hear the words, “your laid off”, the moment you get a call and someone tells you your loved one has died. Good or bad these are defining moments in our life. They either make us stronger or the devastate us. But what do we do in those in between defining moments are or times of transition. These times can be scary and our natural reaction is to freak out. I strongly believe it is during these seasons or time of transition God is preparing us for something bigger. I believe every season good or bad has a purpose wither we see it or not. We can become impatient and only look forward to what we want ahead. We can step boldly into the next season of our life knowing that God is with us. Knowing that it is with His grace we can confidently transition into the next season of our life. We go forward with confidence not in our own strength, talents, gifts, or abilities, but with the grace of God. It is God’s strength that God reaches down and says “I choose you for the next season of your life. As I have walked with others I will walk with you. It is not by your power but with mine you will embrace the next season of your life. You might not feel worthy, qualified, or you have the experience but God says I choose you. Go boldly into it…
Peace, Love and Happiness,
Tommy

“Embracing Your Season”

Isn’t it interesting that when you and I reflect on our lives that there are defining moments or defining seasons? Life is lived through seasons. Some of them are good: like getting your driver licenses, graduation day, wedding, birth of your children or grandchildren, your first real job. Then there are not so good defining moments or seasons: when the divorce became final, the day the test results came back and the Dr. said, “it’s not what we had hoped for”, the day a loved one passes away, the day the factory closed for good, having to change living accommodations, or struggle daily with health problems. These moments good or bad are defining moments or seasons in our lives. In these defining moments, as we transition through these defining seasons and on the back side of them, when they are over, no matter how painful or tough those times were, we can come out on the back side stronger, more determined about life than ever before. Unfortunately we have walked through defining moments or seasons and we have come out more broken, bruised, discouraged and defeated. These seasons of life can be scary to say the least. Some of us resent the season we are currently in and can only look past our current season and hold out unto it can pass. Some of us just when we think we have our season figured out God transitions us into another season. When we do this it is easy to miss what God is preparing us for the next season. As we grow older, we become jaded to the fact that God may still have a purpose for us to that the fact God is still developing who we are as His child.

As we kick off our new sermon series Joshua: Unleashing the Leader Inside You, we will examine Joshua’s life and his seasons. Joshua went from the son of Nun to Moses assistant to the leader of God’s chosen people, who would deliver then into their ultimate destiny. Joshua went from being Moses assistant to leading a million people into the promise land. This during the time when the people were freaked out by the death of their leader.  God transformed Joshua from an administrative assistant to the leader who would conquer the land for the people and help them transition from wandering ex slaves into a great nation. Just as God was there transitioning Joshua, God is there for us during our seasons as well. We must be willing to listen carefully to God’s instruction as we transition from one season to the next. We can learn how to embrace each season good or bad in order to live the life God desires us to have. What season are you in? Are you in transition between two seasons in your life? How can you be a leader in your family and help your children transition from one season to the next. Join us each week in Fusion Worship or watch each message online as we examine Joshua's life to help us unleash the leader inside you as you embrace each season.

See ya in church but until then take care of yourself and one another.
Peace, Love & Happiness,

Tommy

“WEiRD Time”

During the journey through the Lenten season, we stop and focus on the last season of Jesus’ ministry here on earth. One of the great mysteries for me was why did Christ decide “now” was the time to radically change his ministry. Jesus was at the peak of his ministry, fame, and his teachings. Just when Christ was making the greatest impact on the lives of many, he chose to transition his ministry to something radically different. Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem, what we celebrate as Palm Sunday, was the mark of time for all creation. The people had one normal expectation that the time was right for the Savior to free them from Roman control. Jesus had this weird time of reconciling all creation for eternity.  

This week we end our six part sermon series WEiRD: Because Normal Isn’t Working. The intent of this series was not for you to just listen to, agree with, be entertained ,or inspire other pastors of other churches, but for each of you to slow down, ponder God’s message for you, and most importantly begin to adjust your life from normal to weird.  Simply put, the series is about life change.  If you missed any of the messages we encourage you to go to our website and watch them or watch them again. God has a message for you. My prayer is that you begin to live a WEiRD life, not weird for weird sakes but a God WEiRD kind of way.

Today we live in a weird time. Radical changes loom at every corner of our conscious. The threat of the closing of the Disease Control Center and the Murray Center, unstable countries obtain nuclear weapons, and a government election, so it’s vital we understand God’s principles for weird time.  

Normal tells us that busyness equals success. Normal has convinced us that if we stay busy, moving at a hectic pace, we will be successful. Normal tells our church if we just offer more “stuff” no matter if its relevant or not, we will be more successful. Normal concepts of time have us running our children from sports practice to sports practice playing every sport because the busier they are the more successful they will be.  Normal says we don’t have enough time.  WEiRd time reveals to us, we seem to always find time for the things we place value on.  Normal says our job is where we should give our best.  WEiRD time tells us we should give our best when we walk into our house and greet our family. Normal has us convinced that we are too important to disconnect. Normal feeds my ego telling me that others need me. I must stay plugged in all the time. WEiRD reminds me that I am 100% replaceable except in my relationships with God and my loved ones. WEiRD time tells us we are too important to God and to our loved ones to settle living a normal life. Normal is  not working so get weird before you lose something you can’t get back. Jesus’ time for now was about reconciliation, maybe it’s time for us to reconcile the priorities in our life, a broken relationship, our own forgiveness and guilt, and celebrate that our Savior has come to save us. Save us from normal.

Peace, Love & Happiness,
Tommy

WEiRD Trades

Have you ever noticed that we live in a world that is ridicules scattered? Normal is living in a world where it is possible to live scattered all the time. Because of text messages, cell phones, voice mail, Twitter, Facebook and email, we live in a world where it is normal to be scattered. These things are totally neutral but the way they influence our life can either enhance us or totally distract us. Try to have a conversation with someone while they are staring at their iPhone checking their Facebook status. My family and I were eating out when I noticed another minister from another church in my town and his family at the table near us. When our food came as our family custom, we bowed for a quick prayer and began to eat. I noticed the other pastors family were still bowed. I told my family were are not praying long enough, come on, we got to up our game. Their food arrived, they were still bowed. I'm feeling like such the slacker at this point. Then I noticed they were not praying at all, they were all staring and touching their iPhones underneath  the table. Throughout their entire meal they did not speak to each other one word, but maybe they were texting each other.
Normal life has forced us to live in a way where no one or no one thing has our undivided attention. Normal call’s us to multitask, do three things at once, and run from place to place, activity to activity. Today a normal life is a life that is scattered not focused. Leading a scattered life leads to a life of mediocrity. When we are spread too thin nothing or no one gets the best of us. Is it possible that if we run on the hamster wheel of a normal life, that our spouse, our loved ones, our children, our friends don’t get the best of us. They don’t get our undivided attention.

Jesus offers a challenge to us in the gospel of Mark 8:34-27. Jesus asks a question that challenges our normal way of life. He asks “What if we live our whole life living normal and at the end of our life we realize we have nothing?” He says, “Or what can anyone give in a trade for their soul?” Jesus is implying that each and every day we life our life there is a trade involved. Each and every day, every minute and hour of each day there is a weird trade going on. Whenever we are doing something or not doing something we are making a trade. We are trading our life for something. It is possible that we can spend all our time and energy going after the newest, fastest, most expensive, latest, most popular, shiniest, and best but at the end of the day once we get it we realize we are no more happiness than when we began. That’s perfectly normal but normal isn’t working.
God is challenging us in order to find what we really desire in life is to make some weird trades. We if truly desire happiness, peace, and joy in our life we must be willing to make some weird trades. We must be willing to makes some weird trades. We must trade scattered for focused, trade instant gratification for peace, and trade our shame for freedom. If we have the courage to make these trades at the end of the day, we may not be normal but we may have found what we were looking for. To see how to put these weird trades into practice, join us for Part V of our WEiRD sermon series. WEiRD Trades.
Live a Weird life and take care of yourself and one another,
Peace, Love and Happiness,
Tommy

“Just One WEiRD Church”

Press Release: "I SERVE a WEIRD church.” Yes, in case you haven’t realized it by now, the church I currently pastor, First Christian Church is a weird church. We are far from normal. It’s fine because normal will lead us down the path to a destination where we don’t want to be. It will lead us to normal. We are a WEiRD church and something weird is going on. We are not weird just for different sake but in a God Weird kind of way. God is moving. There is not a week that goes by that someone doesn’t email or text me to tell me about what God is doing in their life.God is touching people. If you are brand new or been around FCC forever, you will agree that this ain’t normal. God is touching people, God is doing something unique as He is pouring out his Spirit upon us and it keeps on getting weirder by the minute and we really wouldn’t want it any other way.

Why don’t we want to be a normal church? Because Jesus calls us, desires for us, and instructs us to be a weird church. Normal church is worrying about numbers in worship each week. While Jesus was not bothered by large crowds, he wasn’t impressed by them either. Weird church says the only number we are concerned about it one. We understand, like Jesus, in the midst of a crowd is the one; the one marriage, the one single mom, the one widow, the one hurting, the one teenager, the one lost. Normal says build up your attendance numbers. Jesus kind of weird says focus on the one. Normal says spend the churches money on sound systems, lighting, and video stuff as it will help you draw a crowd. Jesus’ weird says spend it on Centralia Group Workcamp; as we host 450 young people from around the world, to repair 65 homes free of charge for those struggling in our community, and bring a true sense of hope and love to real people in need. Normal says you have to have one distinct worship style that focuses on entertaining. Weird church says offer Fusion Worship that connects all generations together in praise and worship, enhances the traditions of the faith, and is life changing. We provide just one service that doesn’t separate but offers relevant and Spirit-felt time to be in the Holy presence of God. Normal says you have to have a good looking charismatic preacher who is famous in his own community. Weird is FCC got a middle aged, washed up musician from Memphis, Tennessee who rides a Harley and has no concept of fashion. Normal is leading a Bible Study; weird is spending individual quiet time with God daily in SOAP. Normal says invite people like your self to church. Weird is not just sitting at the feet of Jesus but helping carry the heavy load of the lost, broken, and normal people unlike you. Normal says when times are financially hard preserve the money you have. Weird says we are giving more money away to help others than ever before. Normal says it’s all about us. Weird says it’s all about them. Jesus taught us to be a WEiRD church. Normal is about going with the crowd, doing what everyone else is doing, moving from place to place, and building up the numbers. But remember that while Jesus was necessarily bothered by the crowds. He wasn’t impressed by them either. Why? Because normal isn’t working. So get Weird; join us this Sunday for Fusion Worship, as we look at how God is calling us to be a very WEiRD church.
See ya in Fusion worship, but until then take care of yourself and one another.
Tommy

WEiRD is Better..

Like most Jr. High school young boys, I thought I was “Maverick” from Top Gun. In my mind, (cue the Top Gun theme song music) I was the Mack Daddy of the East End Skating rink. My confidence was high, my self esteem primed, and my ego inflated, I thought I had the world all figured out. Up until I asked the prettiest girl there to couples skate. Then I got the most crushing blow of my life. “No way!” she exclaimed, “You’re too weird.” I could have recovered from anything but weird. It was devastating for a Jr. High school boy because what I had avoided all my life was being weird, being different. I could have handled fat, ugly, or even gross but not weird because I had worked hard my entire thirteen years of existence trying not to be weird. I even wore a Members Only jacket. Anything but weird as her words made my life take a drastic turn. From that moment on, life was about being normal, valuing what others thought of me, and trying hard to please other people. I had to be normal.


No matter our age many of us still cringe at the thought of others people thinking we are weird, not normal. In reality it is OK to be different because in today’s culture normal is overwhelmed, normal is broken relationships, and normal is living a life full of fear and anxiety. Most of us desire something different in life but might not know where to turn. When we venture off the normal path and begin to live a God kind of weird life, normal begins to pressure us to conform. There is that inward pressure we have of wanting people to like us, to blend in, to avoid being called different. We witness it the same at thirteen as we do at fifty. It can be exhausting. If the crowd is doing it, we feel drawn to do it also. If it’s happening down the street, we must do it too, because we don’t want to be the weird couple, the weird family, or the weird church. We want to be like everyone and feel pressure to conform to normal even when normal is miserable and misery loves company.

How do we break the pressure of normal? What does God say about being different? Do we live a life that is trying to please normal or please God? Is being WEiRD truly better? If you feel the pressure of being normal join us for Part III: WEiRD is Better as we discover God’s instruction on living a weird life. Weird is a life of joy, peace, purpose, and happiness. Maybe the place to find what you are looking for in life can be found in a weird place, the body of Christ known as the church. Together we can explore how being WEiRD is better because we can’t wear our Member’s Only jacket or thinking we’re Maverick, (cue Top Gun theme song music) forever. That’s too normal and normal isn’t working.
Peace, Love and Happiness,
The WEiRD Minister
Tommy